Liquid dispenser



Patented Sept. 10, 1935 LQUID DISPENSER Application August 15, 1933,Serial No. 685,211

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a liquid dispenser by which liquid may beatomized or shaken out by drops, or which can be used as an atomizer.

It is an object of the invention to provide a .-5 container for liquidswhich is compact in structure, easy to pack for shipment, and which isuseful in any of the three ways mentioned.

According to the invention, a flask or other suitable container isprovided, having a cap removably mounted on the neck thereof. This capis provided with a tube which extends down into the ask, the bore of thetube extending through the cap for dispensing the liquid contents of theflask. The cap may also have an upwardly projecting hollow boss alignedwith the tube. The boss is preferably threaded to receive an auxiliarycap for the purpose of closing the container tightly so that no liquidcan escape therefrom when the auxiliary cap is in position. A suitableair vent is provided to facilitate the escape of liquid from the flaskeither by atomization or by shaking of the ask. The cap having the tubeprojecting downwardly therefrom is readily removable from the neck ofthe container so that it can be used,

with its tube, as an applicator. A suitable aspirating spray device isalso provided, this device being detachably secured to the cap when itis desired to atomize the liquid contents of the flask.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the description of certain embodiments thereof which follows, and tothe drawing of which Figure 1 is a partial section of an embodiment ofthe invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary portion of Figure 1, showing an auxiliary capin position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 shows the structure illustrated in Figure 4, with an auxiliarycap in place of a spray device. n

The invention may be embodied in a suitable flask I0 of any convenientsize or shape, this flask having a neck Il which is provided with ascrew thread l2. As shown, the thread elements are integrally molded onthe exterior surface of the neck, but it is understood that, ifpreferred, a threaded ferrule may be cemented or otherwise secured tothe neck. A cap I5 having an internally threaded skirt I6 is mounted onthe neck of the flask, a suitable washer il being employed Y at themouth of the ilask to make a fluid-tight joint. From the cap I5 a tube2l) project-s downwardly into the flask, preferably to a point adjacentto the bottom of the flask. The tube opens through the top of the cap toprovide a passage for the discharge of liquid from the flask. If 5desired, a hollow boss 2| may be provided to projectV upwardly from thecap, thisV boss being externally threaded as at 22. A suitable closureelement, such as a plug or auxiliary cap, may be provided to render thecap I5 tight when desired. l0 As shown in Figure 2, an auxiliary cap 23is screwed on the threaded boss 2l for this purpose. The boss 2l and thetube 2E have a continuous bore 25 therethrough, an air vent 26 beingprovided through the wall of the tube. The cap l5 l5 is interiorlythreaded as at 2l within the bore 25 at a point below the orifice of theair vent 25. The threaded portion 21 of the bore is slightly constrictedwith respect to the portion of the bore thereabove. This upper portionof the bore is 20 adapted to receive the hollow stem 3Q of an aspiratingspray device 3l, the stem being of smaller diameter than the bore toprovide a clearance around the stem. The lower end portion 32 of thestem is threaded for threaded engagement 25 with the internal thread 2lin the bore 25. The air vent 26 thus communicates with the clearancebetween the stem 30 and the wall of the upper portion of the bore 25.The spray device may include a suitable bulb 33, the aspirating 30nozzle within the device being of well known construction and not shownon the drawing. The nozzle within the spray device 3i operates to drawliquid upwardly through the bore 25 and to discharge it in an atomizedspray through an 35 opening 35 opposite the nozzle. Since the air vent26 extends from the interior of the flask to the bore 25, it is evidentthat an auxiliary cap 23, when mounted on the boss 2l, will completelyclose the flask so as to prevent the escape of any 40 of its contents.If the auxiliary 4cap 23 is removed, the flask may be inverted andshaken to shake out drops of the liquid contents. If desired, the cap l5 with the tube 2U may be readily unscrewed from the neck of the flaskand removed 45 therefrom. The hollow tube will ordinarily retain severaldrops of the liquid by capillarity. The tube can then be used as anapplicator.

Any suitable materials can be employed for the Various partsillustrated. For example, the 50 cap l5 may be made of some suitablemolded plastic material such as a phenolic condensation product. Abushing 4l! may be cemented or otherwise secured centrally in the capl5, this bushing preferably including the upwardly pro- 55 jecting boss2l and a downwardly projecting boss 4i into which the tube 20 may becemented, as shown in Figure 1. If preferred, the tube 20 may beprovided with a ferrule 42 adapted to be screwed into the boss 4|, asshown in Figure 3. The boss 4I and the tube 20 virtually constitute asingle tube projecting downwardly from the cap. It is evident that themember 4B and the tube 20 may, if desired, be molded integrally with thecap.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Astherein shown, the cap l5 is provided with a central member to which ispermanently secured a tube 20 projecting downwardly into the flask. Themember 50 is provided with an upwardly projecting boss 5| which isexternally screw-threaded to receive either a spray device 52 or a cap53. The member 5D is preferably provided with an air vent opening intothe interior of the flask and outwardly to the atmosphere. The spraydevice is provided with a suction chamber which is enlarged at its lowerend as at 56, this lower end portion being internally threaded forengagement on the boss 5|. As shown in Figure 4, this lower end portiondoes not obstruct the air vent 55, so

that when the spray device is in use, the air vent operates to preventsuction on the surface of the liquid in the flask. As shown in Figure 5,the auxiliary cap 53 is sufciently wide at its bottom to extend over theouter orifice of the air vent 55. Thus, when the cap 53 is in place, itseals the air vent and thus completely closes the flask so that noliquid can escape therefrom.

I claim:

An atomizer comprising a container having a neck, a molded cap removablymounted on said neck, said cap having a central aperture, a bushingextending through and secured in said aperture, said bushing having anelongated cylindrical bore therethrough, a lateral vent below thc cap,and a flange engaging the top face of said molded cap, a tube secured tothe lower end of said bushing to extend downwardly in said container andcommunicating with said bore, and an aspirating device including anelongated tube extending into the upper portion of said bore from beyondthe upper end of the bushing and fitting loosely in said bore, the lowerend portion of the tube being in threaded engagement with the interiorof said bushing below said vent.

FREDERICK W. H. LOI-ISE.

